Let’s say you’ve decided that you want a homebirth…but….you’re feeling some uncertainty. 

Maybe you’ve heard stories from other moms who wanted the very same, but then their births took another direction, and they didn’t end up with the intimate birth at home that they’d envisioned.  How do we come to terms with this possibility, yet not expect negative outcomes?  Several weeks ago, one of our community members, Danielle, shared her story of planning a homebirth, but having to make the difficult decision to transport to the hospital during labor, and eventually making the even more difficult decision to have a cesarean section.  After such a moving, emotional, and deeply connecting episode – one that truly seemed to touch something in the mothers who experienced similar stories, and the ones who have not alike….I wanted to continue exploring this idea of the hospital transport. I want to take a look at another side of transporting, in a way– another angle to view it from.  How can we hear a story like Danielle’s or any other mom who planned for homebirth and ended up needing or wanting to transport— how can we listen to that, but not fear our birth or fear the possibility of transport?  I love that we’re able to look at birth through so many contexts and lenses.  That we can take personal experiences, mindset exercises and pure old statistics and blend them into a comprehensive, comforting inspection of homebirth and the likelihood of transporting.

So with that in mind, today I want to go through some practical thoughts, tips and reminders regarding homebirth and hospital transport, and the relationship between the two.  As always, this is not medical advice, this show is an educational tool, so continue to make empowered decisions for yourself and your family.

We will:

Discuss the most common reasons for transport, and several ways to help discourage their necessity

Share some internal and external pain relief techniques

Discuss how we control the narrative and the perspective-- no matter where we give birth

Resources:

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